Pope Benedict XVI (1927–2022)

Three book-length interviews with Joseph Ratzinger were published before he became Pope, the last two conducted by German journalist and lapsed-then-born-again Catholic Peter Seewald. They were followed by [b:Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times - A Conversation with Peter Seewald|9709804|Light of the World The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times - A Conversation with Peter Seewald|Pope Benedict XVI|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348448608s/9709804.jpg|14598155] , issued to some controversy when Ratzinger was on the Chair of Peter as Benedict XVI. To these must now be added Last Testament, which sees Benedict in the unprecedented role of “Emeritus Pope” and which, the publisher ominously tells us, will be Ratzinger’s last book.

In the introduction to the book-interview, Seewald explains that Last Testament is based on several conversations held around the time of Ratzinger’s resignation, in preparation for a forthcoming biography of the Pontiff. This gives the impression that this book is an afterthought, a suspicion which is unfortunately borne out by the text. There are some interesting insights about Benedict’s papacy, the Vatileaks affair and the considerations which led to the resignation. However, the chapters which deal with the Emeritus Pope’s childhood, upbringing and his role in the Vatican II, rely heavily on Ratzinger’s previously published memoirs [b:Milestones: Memoirs 1927-1977|468104|Milestones Memoirs 1927-1977|Pope Benedict XVI|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348621807s/468104.jpg|456448], and the questions are more in the line of “requests for clarifications”. Moreover, not having read the said memoirs, I started to get the uncomfortable feeling that I was eavesdropping on a dialogue between friends whom I didn’t know too well.

The editing of the book also seems to have been done in a hurry. My hardback edition closes with a detailed note about the font used (Bembo, in case you’re wondering). Ah, you might say, this is a publication for real booklovers! And so it was probably meant to be. Yet, I came across a couple of editing mistakes (questions in regular rather than italic font), some typos and also instances of dodgy translation. Nothing too serious, but not what I expect in such an edition.

Despite my reservations, this remains an important document about a figure I admire. It is worth reading, if anything, for the striking image it conveys of the “conservative” Pope as a young theological firebrand reading Sartre, Hesse and Hindu texts and drinking wine with his comrades on the Trastevere. However, I found Light of the World more illuminating (if you’ll excuse the pun), whereas [b:God and the World: A Conversation with Peter Seewald|861455|God and the World A Conversation with Peter Seewald|Pope Benedict XVI|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348905284s/861455.jpg|846885], possibly the best of Seewald’s book-interviews with Ratzinger, provides a characteristically deep and wide-ranging discussion about practically all aspects of the Catholic faith.
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